Angling blade arrangement for tractors



March 1, 1955 R. G. LE TOURNEAU ANGLING BLADE ARRANGEMENT FOR TRACTORS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1949 I I I rlllulllllll I lnulllllln.

IN VEN TOR. R. G. LETOUR/VEAU AGENT March 1, 1955 R. e. LE TOURNEAU ANGLING BLADE ARRANGEMENT FOR TRACTORS Filed Aug. 25, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a 6 9 3 W a Z 3 l I I a W m IN V EN TOR. R G. LETOURNEAU AGENT United States Patent ANGLING BLADE ARRANGEMENT FOR TRACTORS Robert G. Le Tourneau, Longview, Tex., assignor to R. G. Le Tourneau, Ine., Peoria, Ill., a corporation of California plication August 25, 1949, Serial No. 112,196

6 Claims. 01. 37-144 This invention relates generally to an angle-type bulldozer blade arrangement for attachment to and operation from a construction tractor.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved angling blade and support whereby the rearmost end of the blade will always extend a distance laterally beyond the wheels regardless of the amount of angling.

An additional object is to provide a unique pivot struc ture which provides a substantial radius for turning the blade about the central pivot.

Another object is to provide a T-shaped pivot arm extending between the wheels and pivoted to the under side of the tractor case to permit folding under the case for compactness as required in shipping.

A still further object is to provide power-driven levelling means associated with one pivot to insure a level position of the blade when used in an angled position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple yet inexpensive device which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relative arrangement of part as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blade and its support attached to a construction tractor.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partially cut away showing the blade at an angled position attached to its support.

Fig. 3 demonstrates the effective radius R of the pyrathe attachment between the pivot structure of the blade and the blade support.

Fig. 4 shows a detailed front elevation of the levelling motor and pivot arm for the blade support.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the blade arrangementof this invention is seen from Fig. 1 to consist generally of a U- shaped blade support 1, supported at its rear ends from a tractor 2 by T-shaped pivot arms 3, and including a bulldozing blade 4 pivoted to its front end and supported in the desired position by thrust arms 5; the support and blade being vertically adjustable by means of power winch 6.

The support 1 specifically consists of a tubular front cross beam 7 and rearwardly projecting side arms 8 which surround the tractor 2 outside of its wheels 9 and are connected to pivot arms 3 by means of sockets 10 fastened to the side arms and ball joints 11 of the pivot arms. The side arms 8 are each equipped with U-shaped brackets 12 which are drilled as at 13 to receive locking pin 14 (Fig. 2) to thereby secure eye-piece 15 of thrust arms 5. The cross beam 7 is bevelled at its corners 7a to prevent interference with blade 4 when the latter is in its extreme angled position.

The T-shaped pivot arms 3 are bearing blocks 16 which are fastened to the underside of the case of tractor 2. As shown in Fig. 4 pivot arms 3 when detached from the blade support structure may be rotated about their pivot point in block 16. Rotated positions of the arms are shown in dotted lines at 3a and 3b. This attachment permits the pivot arms to be folded under the case when the blade support and wheels are removed, to present a more compact unit for shipping or storage.

A levelling motor 17 is pivoted as at 18 to L-shaped bracket 19 which overhangs one side of the tractor case. This motor actuates a revolving threaded housing 20 which causes extension or retraction of a push and pull rod in themselves pivoted to the form of a lead screw 21 which in turn is pivoted at 22 to bracket 23 of one pivot arm 3. This arrangement permits one side arm 8 to be raised or lowered to level support 1 and blade 4 which has a tendency to tilt in a transverse vertical plane when used in an angled position.

Fig. 2 shows thrust arms 5 to consist of a triangular bracket whose short side 24 contains upper and lower eye plates 25 and 26 which are pivoted to upper and lower 9brackets 27 and 28 of blade 4 and held in place by pins 2 Fig. 3 demonstrates the effective radius R of the pyramidal-type pivot structure 30 which causes the inner end I of blade 4 to extend laterally beyond the wheels on one side to give a wider side clearance when operating close to a vertical bank than would be possible with the same length blade when angled on current devices of this type. It also prevents the wheels from travelling over the windrow'resulting from a side casting operation. The structure 30 contains vertically spaced socket blocks 31 which engage vertically spaced ball joints 32 on central pivot pin 33 which is encased in cross beam 7. A sheave housing 34 extends to the rear side of this cross beam to permit a'block and tackle reeving of cable 35 of winch 6 thru sheave housing'36 of the tractor.

Another important advantage of providing an effective radius R is that a substantial spacing is provided between the blade 4 and the pivot at ball joints 32. This substantial spacing is deliberately provided to bring the work point of the blade closer to the longitudinal centerline of the machine and to extend the heel of the blade farther from this centerline. It has been discovered that this construction allows the weight of the dirt being moved to be farther out on the heel side than on the point side and thus counteract the draft of the machine. Thus the normal tendency of an angledozer blade to slue the tractor around is overcome by substantially equalizing the load on both sides of the tractor.

The pivot arm which is not associated with levelling motor is manually adjustable in a vertical plane by means of threaded rod 37 which locates this pivot arm from bracket 38 of tractor 2. This arrangement gives a combination of manual and power adjustment to permit a level operation of the blade over a wide range.

From the foregoing description, it will be readily seen that there has been produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forthherein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviation from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, the following is claimed as new and useful, and upon which Letters Patent is desired:

1. A blade arrangement for tractors including a main case and supporting wheels, comprising rearwardly projecting side arms, pivot arms attached to and extending laterally from said case, universal connections between said side arms and said pivot arms, a bracket attached to the case and overhanging one of said pivot arms, an electric motor pivoted to said bracket, a lead screw connected at one end to said one pivot arm, and driving connections between said motor and said lead screw.

2. A blade arrangement for tractors including a main case and supporting wheels, comprising pivot arms attached to said case at the underside and extending laterally outward therefrom, a blade support surrounding said tractor and adapted for attachment to said pivot arms, said pivot arms being pivotally mounted on said case for swinging movement from a position extending in a substantially horizontal plane and outwardly from said case to a position in said substantially horizontal plane extending inwardly under said case.

'3. An angling blade arrangement for a tractor including a main case and supporting wheels comprising: a blade support including a straight tubular cross beam, rearwardly projecting side arms surrounding the tractor laterally outside of the wheels, spaced brackets on each side arm, said spaced brackets on one side arm being laterally aligned with the brackets on the other side arm, a centrally located vertical pivot pin on said cross'bearn, vertically spaced ball joints at each end of said pivot pin; laterally extending pivot arms attached to the underside of said case, universal connections between said pivot arms and said side arms; a blade ahead of said blade support including a rearwardly projecting pivot structure ofasubstantial'length, vertically spaced. sockets at the rear of said pivot structure, said sockets engaging said ball joints, thrust arms associated with the outer ends of said blade; said thrust :arms including an eye piece at their rear end for selective engagement with said brackets and vertically spaced-eyepieces at the forward end of said thrust-arms tor pivotal attachment to said blade; and power means associated with one of said pivot arms for moving said one arm up -or down for levelling purposes when said thrust arms are engaged in non-aligned brackets on said side arms to. give angularity to said blade.

4. An angling blade arrangement for a tractor including a main case and supporting wheels, comprising: a blade support including a straight .tubular cross beam, rearwardly projecting side arms surrounding the tractor laterally outside of the wheels, spaced brackets on each side arm, said spaced brackets on one side arm being laterally aligned with a corresponding bracketon the other side arm, a centrally located single piece vertical pivot pin encased in said cross beam, vertically spaced and aligned ball joints at each end of said pivot pinprojecting externally from said cross beam, laterally extending generally T-shaped pivot arms projecting outward from the main case, the T-shaped arms being pin connected to the underside of said case for swinging movement .of in excess of 180 in a transversevertical plane, a balljoint at the outer end of each pivot arm, a socket block at therear end of each side arm for engaging said last named ball joints, a blade ahead of the blade support, a pivot structure located centrally of said blade and extending rearwardly a substantial distance therefrom, upper and lower sockets at the rear of said pivot structure cooperating with said vertical pivot pin ball joints, rearwardly extending thrust arms connecting between the outer endsof said blade and selected brackets on said side arms; a bracket fastened to said main case and overhanging one of said pivot arms, an electric motor pivoted to said bracket,...a..lead screw .connectedto .one end of .said .one

pivot arm, and driving connections between said motor and said lead screw for moving said one pivot arm vertically to move one side of said blade support vertically to compensate for horizontal deviation of said blade occasioned when one thrust armis inserted in spaced brackets on one side arm which are not in lateral alignment with the bracket in which'the otherthrust arm is inserted.

5. A blade arrangement for tractors including a main case and supporting wheels, comprising rearwardly projecting side arms, pivot arrns attached to and extending laterally from said case, universal connections between said side arms and said pivot arms, a bracket attached to one of rsaidrpivotiarms, an'electricimotor supported from the case, a push and pull rod pivoted to said bracket and means connecting the electric motor to the push and pull rod.

6. A blade arrangement for .tractors including a main case and supporting wheels comprising rearwardly projecting side arms, pivot arms attached to and extending laterally from said case, universal connections between said side arms and tsaidpivot arms, a bracket attached to one of saidpivot arms, an'electric motor supported from the case, and push and pullmeans pivoted to said bracket and connected to the motor.

" References Cited in theffile of this patent -UNI TED STATES PATENTS 1,961,011 Pearson May 29, 1934 1,964,360 Le Tourneau June 26, 1934 1,997,001 Lamb April 9, 1935 2,059,431 Barrett.et-al. Nov. 3, 1936 2,126,791 Low Aug. 16, 1938 2,136,551 Knapp Nov. 15, 1938 2,185,179 Bird et a1. Jan. 2, 1940 2,238,346 'Sorensen Apr. 15, 1941 2,311,553 Le .Tourneau Feb. 16, 1943 2,412,574 French Dec. 17, 1946 2,451,348 Miller Oct. 12, 1948 2,600,244 'Harper June 10, 1952 

